Would a Brexit be the beginning of the end of EU?

CHANNEL CROSSING: An increasing number of migrants now attempting to reach Britain.

ACCORDING to a recent poll across 10 EU countries, euroscepticism is increasing across Europe. It found the strongest supporters of the EU were in Poland (72 per cent) and Hungary (61 per cent) – arguably the biggest net recipients of the EU budget – compared with just 27 per cent in Greece, 38 per cent (France) and 44 per cent (the UK).

Enough euroscepticism in the UK to lead to Brexit? According to Daniel Kahneman, the influential economics Nobel laureate, simply “irritation and anger” may just do it: “The major impression one gets observing the debate is that the reasons for exit are clearly emotional.

The arguments look short-term and based on irritation and anger. These seem to be powerful enough that they may lead to Brexit.” With Leave campaigners keeping the focus on immigration – most voters believe recent EU migration has been bad for the NHS, schools, housing and national security according to yet another poll – you can see what he’s getting at, can’t you?

Take one small example in the recent change of tactics by migrants, ‘irritation’ at the increasing number now attempting to reach Britain via the English Channel given the problems with the former Turkey-Greece route.

And ‘anger’ at the inevitable outcome. Of course those in difficulty in the Channel will have to be brought ashore to be ‘cared for’ by the Border Agency (as the BBC described the news about one sinking boatload of Albanians). It’d be impossible for the authorities to act one way in the Channel and another in the Mediterranean.

Effectively a convenient taxi service, then? And what about a boatload of migrants who’ve thrown their passports in the sea. They’ll likely be brought ashore as asylum seekers and, to protect their human rights, mostly have to stay? And soon bring their families? You get Kahneman’s point, don’t you. We’re only halfway through 2016.

What’s possibly next up? Brexit, collapse of the Tory party, Corbyn as PM, recession, more anti-EU referendums across Europe, Donald Trump elected president just in time for Christmas. You couldn’t make it up.

Nora Johnson’s thrillers ‘No Way Back’, ‘Landscape of Lies’, ‘Retribution’, ‘Soul Stealer’, ‘The De Clerambault Code’ (www.nora-johnson.com) available from Amazon in paperback/e-book (€0.89; £0.79) and iBookstore.

All profits to Costa del Sol Cudeca cancer charity.

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Comments


    • the teddyboy

      22 June 2016 • 01:22

      When Neil Kinnock lost the Election he should have won
      Conservatives made him Euro MP & His & His Nephew.. So that was 3 Cars ; 3 Chauffeurs & Anyone in Family they wanted on payroll for Administration.
      But then 3 of them received £2,000,000 per year No wonder he lost the Election 2 Million & Expenses

    • Roy Peters

      16 June 2016 • 11:47

      Nora, I can well see this as the end of the E.U. There are many other countries that are dissatisfied with the way things are going, and if we leave others will follow.

      The whole idea of a unified Europe was good in the beginning, but it has been sabotaged by those idiots in Brussels with their stupid laws and uncontrolled immigration. Britain needs to gain control of its destiny before we are totally consumed and destroyed by Brussels.

      We need to get back control of our borders and our Justice System and stop pampering to those fools in Brussels. Get out now while we can!

    • Sean Dobson

      18 June 2016 • 23:46

      I agree and the prospect of a European army,largely controlled by German is a nightmare,Hitler must be laughing in his grave.
      I also think it’s only a matter of time before the EU flag replaces or takes precedence over all national flags.
      I voted yes in 1975,just before we left for a tour of Northern Ireland,where I spent my 21st birthday putting down a riot.
      However,we were all led to believe that we were voting to remain in a trade block,although it is now clear that Heath knew far more than he told us,nobody has ever voted for what we are part of now but I certainly will be voting to leave what has become a United States of Europe with it’s own currency,politicians,laws,flag,anthem and a prospective army.

    • John

      19 June 2016 • 16:50

      Whoa a second. As Roy Peters writes:”I can well see this as the end of the E.U. There are many other countries that are dissatisfied with the way things are going, and if we leave others will follow.”
      It seems to me that this might be EXACTLY the right climate for the UK to REMAIN in the EU and become the leader and voice of the Dissatisfied States so as to oblige “Brussels” at last to listen intently and constructively to those EU member STATES who think it is time the EU Secretariat is reined in hard and the needs and imperatives and common-sense of the EU’s MEMBER STATES (underlined) are once-and-for-all time irrevocably placed at the top of the EU agenda and procedural steps can be taken to ensure the very unsatisfactory lessons learned from these first 30/40 years can be prevented from ever happening again.
      With the real possibility of being able to enforce change on the self-serving bureaucrats in Brussels coming ever closer would be the totally wrong time for Britain to walk away and surrender its potential to properly and constructively influence the years ahead.
      Britain was not a member when the original European Economic Community (EEC) was formed as the precursor of the EU … we more-or-less had to accept the cock-eyed terms dictated by Moi de Gaulle and, since then, try to make of the EU the best we could.

      NOW COULD BE THE TIME FOR UK TO TAKE THE LEAD IN RE-CASTING THE MOULD TO GIVE EUROPE SOMETHING FAR MORE SERVICEABLE IN PLACE OF THE VERY SCREWED-UP EU AS IT PRESENTLY IS.

    • Mike in ESP

      19 June 2016 • 21:33

      There seem to be a lot of people who think the UK can reform “or as you mention remould” the EU, I really cannot believe there are people that actually believe this, how naive can people be?

      We have just had Cameron try to get a deal to stop a Brexit vote and he came back with nothing really. Now if the EU elite will stand their ground on DC telling them we might leave if he went back with nothing and he came back with the rubbish he did, then we will never be able to reform the EU from being in it, we couldn’t even get a few important changes on the worry or chance we would leave, do you really think the EU elite are going to listen to us now? The UK MEP’s are not the only ones who have been speaking out in Brussels! N Farage when he speaks gets a lot of applause from other countries MEP’s in Brussels on what he says a lot of the time… but no one listens to him or to the others.
      If you don’t believe me then search it out on Google, the EU elite listen to practically no one except those that think the same way as they do. If you want to be involved in a union that is run by people who are put into their positions without being voted in and cannot be removed by voting them out then fine but I, as hopefully the majority of British people understand the benefits of leaving far outweigh those of remaining for the average British citizen.

    • John

      20 June 2016 • 08:51

      Michael, Interesting Daily Mail piece this morning (20 June): BRUSSELS GRAVY TRAIN IS LIKE ‘LAST DAYS OF ROME’: EU MEPS EARN UP TO 740% MORE THAN AVERAGE CITIZEN

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2329554/EU-expenses-MEPs-Brussels-earn-740-average-citizen-enjoy-free-haircuts-gallons-petrol.html#ixzz4C6S83FgY

      Of course the current brood of MEPs (WHO INCLUDE MR FARAGE MEP) have absolutely no inclination of ANY kind to allow David Cameron (DC) to erode their very satisfying lives if they can keep him and his uncomfortable ideas at bay. For them he is a nightmare.

      According to the Daily Mail, MEPs earn £182,826 a year — 695 percent higher than the UK average salary. They also receive £217,000 “allowances”.

      The Daily Mail says Mr Farage MEP is paid 200 percent more than a Westminster MP. In total, an MEP earns approximately £1,000,000 over the five years he or she is ‘in office’. Nice!

      Of course Mr Farage MEP (to quote you, Michael) “gets a lot of applause from other countries MEPs in Brussels on what he says.” And, as you say, “the EU elite listen to practically no one except those that think the same way as they do”. All absolutely astonishing if it was otherwise!

      The climate for change which DC can begin to spearhead, to which other mainline Member States increasingly seem inclined to become a party, are hugely overdue. Please don’t be so naive as to think the current brood of MEPs like it one little bit.

    • Roy Peters

      20 June 2016 • 12:21

      John, I am afraid you are wrong. Britain will NEVER be allowed to force this issue because no-one takes notice of Cameron in Brussels. This has been proven time and time again.
      These un-elected people will do everything they can to protect their highly paid jobs, and will not relinquish control to anyone.
      To imagine that changes can be made to the way Europe is run is ‘pie-in-the-sky’. They are aiming at forming the ‘United States of Europe’ under THEIR direct control, and you can bet your life that if we stay in it will happen no matter what Cameron or any other European leader says.

    • Mike in ESP

      20 June 2016 • 16:25

      Yes Farage does earn this and his doesn’t deny it but he will loose that if what he is fighting for is a success, leaving the EU! It has been made clear that politicians speaking out against the EU will loose on their pension, he isn’t worried about that is he…. while all the others are, I have no idea what you are trying to say this this rant as it is all a lot of the information leave people including Farage use to show the farce Brussels is!

      The argument you are answering was remoulding the EU from inside not out and you say: “You you would be astonished if you would be astonished if the EU Elite listened to people who spoke out the U.K.”, the UK voted against on 55 pieces of EU legislation since 1996 but was outvoted each time, we have no influence in Brussels and the EU can not be changed from the inside, if you think it can you are delusional! 😉

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